Bookshelf Lust for Book Hoarders, Keepers and Collectors

I've been trying to declutter myself. It's a slow process. On a good day I've made some kind of progress. But, I count almost anything as progress at this point.

One rule I hope to stick to after this is not bringing in more stuff than I have gotten rid or or used. Too much stuff is the cause of clutter. No matter how much storage space you have or don't have, you can only keep so much stuff around and you only need so much stuff around too.

I have too many books. I know I have too many books but I still keep bringing more of them home. Like lost souls.

I have gotten good at not keeping fiction books. Once I read them I take them to the secondhand bookstore and bring back fewer of them in exchange. Less is more, right?

But, I have a mild obsession when it comes to non-fiction books. I have a book on every topic that has ever interested me. Sadly, that's not much of an exaggeration.

I don't collect books. I don't quite hoard books, in my opinion. But, I do keep books. I keep them in plastic storage containers, on top of my chest of drawers, in piles on the floor and on actual bookshelves too.

I'd love to have a book room, a library. It's a dream. I've never had the kind of space, just to myself, for displaying all my books.

I'd settle for a corner, a reading nook. But, that won't work out right now. Too many people in a small living space and I'm the only one here who actually likes to keep books.

I just have too many books, more than I can keep. But, they are so hard to part with. Leaving a book behind is like giving up on a dream, a plan or a goal you wanted to keep. It's very hard to do. I still remember books I've lost along the way, years and years after they have been gone.

Maybe some day I will have my reading space. I like to look at other reading rooms, places and spaces. I design my own in my mind. It has masses of revisions at this point.

Do you have a reading space, just for yourself and your books?

Wouldn't You Like a Book Nook Too?

Source

Create a Book Nook without Renovations

Find the right spot in your home. A quiet corner you can relax in.

Get a comfortable chair, pile cozy pillows on the floor or pull up a couch you can stretch out on. Bring a blanket and pillows to keep you warm and content.

Let there be light. You need a good reading light. One you can easily reach to turn off if you get sleepy.

A little table for your books, a place to set your beverage of choice, maybe something like fake flowers to pretty it up a bit too.You might keep a stash of paper and pens for taking notes and jotting down ideas.

Topic: Do you think you have too many books?

The Dusty Bookshelf Challenge

1. Write a blog post with a list of all those books that are literally or figuratively sitting on your shelf that you’ve been meaning to read for a while.

2. Pick a level

~Pixie Dust – Read 0-5 books

~Dust Bunny – Read 5-10 books

~Cobwebs – Read 10-15 books

~Grungy – Read 20+ books

EXTRA CREDIT-Say how long that book has been sitting on your shelf!

3. Link your blog post where you are doing the challenge at the bottom of this post (with the blue button) and then enter the giveaway!

Bookie Brunch

Looks like this group has faded away but the idea was really nice. "A weekly meet-up, held every Sunday, where book bloggers can have a cup of tea and chat about a particular bookie question of interest." | Source

Comments

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John MacNab 5 years agofrom the banks of the St. Lawrence

Hi Grrl. I love books as much as you do. I have them stacked in bookcases and under chairs, but I refuse to get rid of them. To me a book nook comes into being as soon as I begin the first chapter.

Author

Laura Brown 5 years agofrom Barrie, Ontario, Canada

Thanks for the comment. I've been thinking I could get one of those low, long plastic tote containers and slide it under my bed. Almost like the first idea. I'd miss the sound that drawer would make as it slides out though. I could hear it in my head right from the first time I found that photo.

Alastar Packer 5 years agofrom North Carolina

The Book Nooks rock That Grrl, and hey, bibliophiles rule!

Rob 5 years agofrom Bay Ridge Brooklyn NY

Nice. I'm a book packrat, too. I wish I had a book nook.

Rob

Author

Laura Brown 5 years agofrom Barrie, Ontario, Canada

I love the big drawer under the bed. It's actually for DVDs, but I wouldn't waste it on them. I've only got four. lol I'm afraid to count my books and actually know just how bad my book lust really is.